HMS Tenacious
Vessel name on Arrival: HMS Tenacious
Original Builder: Cammell Laird & Company, Birkenhead
Original Yard No: 1100
Official Number:
Vessel Type: destroyer
GRT: 1802
Year Built: 1942
Arrival Date: 28/06/1965
Breakup Started: 06/07/1965
Date First Beached: 11/11/1965
Date Breakup Completed: 22/06/1966
Draught For’d: 7' 6"
Draught Aft: 10' 3"
Name Changes:
Ordered in March 1941 as HMS TEMPEST but launched as HMS TENACIOUS (Pennant No. R 45)
Other Information:
Tumult-Class (T-Class) Twin-Screw Destroyer, for the Royal Navy
Vessel later converted to a Type 16 Fast Anti-Submarine Frigate (Pennant F-44)
03-12-1941 : Laid Down
24-03-1943 : Launched
30-10-1943 : Completed
Tonnages : 1,802 / 2,530 tons
Dimensions : 362' 9" x 35' 8" x 14' 2" (110.57 metres x 10.87 metres x 4.32 metres)
Complement : 18 – 225 Officers and Ratings
Propulsion : Geared Steam Turbines developing 40,000 SHP to provide a vessel speed of 36.75 knots
Boilers : Two Admiralty 3-Drum Boilers
Armament (as a Destoyer) :
4 x 4.7 inch QF Mk. IX Guns
2 x 40mm BOFORS
8 x 21 inch Torpedoes
Battle Honours
1944 – Adriatic
1944 – South France
1944 – Mediterranean
1945 – Okinawa
SUMMARY OF VESSEL HISTORY
October 1 9 4 3
Trials & Commissioning for service in 24th Destroyer Flotilla
November 1943
On completion of trials took passage to Scapa Flow for work-up. Worked up with Home Fleet at Scapa Flow.
December 1943
Prepared for foreign service and took passage for Gibraltar.
January 1944
Deployed with Flotilla in Western Mediterranean.
Joined Northern Attack Force for support of allied landings at Anzio.
Joined other units of HM Navy in Operation Shingle
Provided naval gunfire support off PETER Beach.
Under heavy air attacks including use of Glider Bombs
On release from SHINGLE transferred with Flotilla to Adriatic for support of other military operations
February 1944
Bombarded Recanti and Pedaso, south of Ancona, with HMS TUMULT
March – April 1944
Adriatic deployment in continuation.
May 1944
Deployed in Central Mediterranean for convoy defence and patrol.
Deployed with other Destroyers to reinforce the escort of Convoy HA43 in central Mediterranean
Joined escort for HA43 and commenced search operation for enemy submarine/s
After establishing contact with a submarine carried out depth charge attacks.
Remained in area to await inevitable surfacing of submarine.
Engaged U-453 with surface gunfire when that submarine surfaced.
Shared credit for sinking of U-453 in position 38.13N 16.36E, NW Cape Spartivento.
(50 survivors from U4563 were rescued)
June – July 1944
Mediterranean deployment with Flotilla in continuation
Nominated for duty in support of allied landings in South of France under overall US Navy command.
(Operation DRAGOON – formerly ANVIL).
August 1944
Joined Carrier Task Force 88.
Deployed with others as Task Group 88.1.
Sailed from Malta for assault area with TG 88.1.
Released from DRAGOON and took passage with TG88.1 for Alexandria.
September 1944
Deployed in Eastern Mediterranean.
Joined British Aegean Force with Flotilla.
October – November 1944
Supported re-occupation of Aegean Islands.
December 1944
Eastern Mediterranean deployment with Flotilla in continuation.
January 1945
Nominated for deployment with Flotilla in British Pacific Fleet after refit.
February 1945
Under refit in Malta and prepared for new service. On completion took passage to Sydney.
April 1945
On passage to Australia.
May 1945
Joined British Task Force 57. Pennant Number changed to D23.
Deployed with HMS TERMAGANT in TF57.
Part of screen for capital vessels during air operations against Sakishima Gunto Group of islands.
Detached as escort for HM Battleship KGV during passage to Guam for meetings with US Naval Staff.
Transferred with ships of BPF to 3rd US Fleet and redesignated as part of Task Force 37.
Arrived at Guam.
June 1945
Passage from Guam to rejoin ships of BPF at Manus.
On arrival nominated for service with ships of Flotilla for RN operation.
Allocated to Task Group 112.2 (Operation INMATE).
Detached from Task Group 112.2 as screen for capital ships during air attacks on Truk
Redesignated Task Unit 112.2.3.
Rejoined ships of Task Force 112.2 to carry out bombardment of seaplane base on island of Dublon.
Rejoined Task Group on completion for screening and cover during air attacks by carrier aircraft.
Took passage to Manus at daybreak with ships of Task Group.
July 1945
Took passage from Manus to with ships of British Pacific Fleet as Task Force 37 for operations off Japan
Refuelled from Replenishment Group.
Task Force 37 joined ships of US Task Force 38 for air operations against Japan.
Deployed as screen for HM Aircraft during combined attacks.
Refuelled from British Logistics Group 24th Air operation recommenced against subsidiary targets.
Replenished from British Logistics Group.
Screening duties in continuation during attacks on subsidiary targets.
Ships refuelled from British Logistics Group and delayed by weather conditions.
August 1945
Fuel for destroyers provided by major warships.
Screening duties in continuation during air operations.
Detached with others for screening during bombardment of shore targets as Task Unit 37.1.8
Bombarded Kamaisha, Honshu, Japan with spotting aircraft from US battleships.
Rejoined Task Force ships on completion.
Refuelled from British Logistics Group
Retained in operational area as part of US Task Force 38.
Redesignated as Task Group 38.5
Deployed as screen for during joint attacks by carriers and bombardments of targets in Tokyo area.
Refuelled with ships of Task Group 38.5 from US tankers.
VJ Day. Operations ceased.
Remained in operational area with US Navy ships and deployed in support of shore operations
Attended surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay with Token Force representing the British Pacific Fleet
P o s t W a r N o t e s
HMS TENACIOUS remained with the British Pacific Fleet for support of the military occupation and the repatriation of allied nationals from captivity. In addition the ship carried out Fleet duties. After a visit to Melbourne in February with HMS TUMULT and HMS UNDINE, she returned to UK and paid off into the Reserve Fleet at Devonport. Re-commissioned in 1949 after a refit this destroyer served in the Clyde as Target Ship for the 3rd Submarine Flotilla. In 1951 she was selected for conversion to a Type 16 Anti-Submarine Frigate at Rosyth. After completion in 1954 she again went into Reserve until placed on the Disposal List. Sold to BISCO she was first de-equipped at Devonport and arrived at Troon for breaking-up in June 1965.